The Task

To create a guide to excellent creative business libraries or business centers to provide examples of innovation and best practices.

Project Details

The goal of this project is to create a guide to excellent, creative business libraries or business centers (academic and public), in order to provide examples of innovation and best practices. This would probably entail surveying the literature, surveying BRASS-L membership and business librarian listservs to elicit the best of what's out there- and perhaps looking at past nominations for and winners of several of the BRASS awards for leads. The project would be to help libraries bulid or improve business centers or business libraries to serve their communities in the best ways possible, as well as new ways of reaching younger business people.

Expected Outcomes

Outcomes would be a guide to excellent, creative services (virtual business centers, SecondLife/MySapce presences, online business instruction, innovative small business outreach, YouTube projects, etc). This could be worked into a BRASS program at a future meeting or an article on the topic in the business press or a BRASS/RUSA publication. The project will address the desire/need for continuing improvement in serving traditional and newer types of business communities.

Project Plan

1. Key elements of the project
* What makes an excellent creative business library/center?
* What resources and technology should an excellent creative business libraries/centers equipped?
* How do business libraries/centers market themselves?
* What are some of the innovative methods business librarians develop for their business libraries/centers?
2. Goals of the project
* Identify the business needs of the community for the business library/center
* Identify essential resources for business libraries/centers
* Identify innovative practice for business libraries/centers
* Create a guide to excellent, creative business libraries/centers
3. Audiences of the project
* BRASS
* Business librarians from different type of libraries
4. Deliverables
* Poster presentation at 2008 ALA Annual
* Best practices available on BRASS wiki
* Handout for quick reference

Our Progress

Jan. 13 Conduct literature review
Feb. 8 Discuss project goal and output
Feb. 19 Brainstorm for survey questions
Feb. 28 Discuss survey questions
Mar. 13 Draft up survey and set it up at Survey Methods
Mar. 27 Finalize survey questions
Apr. 11 Send out invitation to take survey through various listservs
Apr. 18 Close survey and start data analysis
Apr. 25 Discuss questions for follow-up interview
May 1 Send email questionnaire to survey participants who agreed for a follow-up interview
May 12 Organize information collected from the follow-up interviews
May 19 Discuss in detail on the information collected from both the survey and follow-up interview. How to generate useful information? How to organize and present them in a most useful and effective way
May 29 Discuss poster and handout content
June 16 Finalize poster and handout content
June 27 Emerging Leaders Wrap Up and Poster Presentation
Forthcoming Final report to BRASS; establish BRASS wiki space for project details

Findings

Importance of Having Business Background for Business Librarian

15.5% of the people said it's "very important"

21.1% of the people said it's "important"

18.3% of the people said it's "somewhat important"

7.7% of the people said it's "not important"

Top Needs of Business Users

Academic Libraries

Public Libraries

Corporate/Special Libraries

Database access

Company information

Research support

Business program support

Business plan writing

Employee training

Curriculum support

Funding/grants/loans

Research support

Business start-ups

Company information

Industry information

Industry information

Marketing research

Datasets

Job-seeking

Technical standards

Business management

Most Widely Used Business Databases

Business Source Premier

Reference USA

ABI/Inform

Business & Company Resource Center

LexisNexis

Mergent Online

Top 10 Resources Recommended for Business Collections in Academic Libraries

Top 10 Resources Recommended for Business Collections in Public Libraries

Top 10 Resources Recommended for Business Collections in Special Libraries

Innovative Services You're Providing

Use embedded librarians in programs

Establish additional funding for business collection growth

Partner with local businesses and government agencies

Renovate space for comfortable environment

Provide on-demand/point-to-point services

Set up author cafes for outreach

Host business-plan competitions for start-up money/funds

Innovative Technologies You're Using

Blogs for library news, event alerts, etc.

Wikis for pathfinders, subject guides

Online Chat/IM for virtual reference services

Podcasts for library events, tours, research tips

Screencasts for tutorials

Toolbars customized for users

Del.icio.us for gathering and sharing sources

Desktop delivery service for convenient access

Where Are You Promoting?

Flyers/Brochures

Website

On-site and Off-site workshops/presentations

Local TV/newspaper spots

Newsletter/inclusion in departmental newsletter

Webinars

Expos and Fairs

Speaking engagements

Mailing lists

Social Networking Sites

Word of mouth

How Are You Partnering with Your Community?

Better Business Bureau (BBB)

Business Advisory Council

Business Resource Network

Business school faculty

Chamber of Commerce

Corporate foundations

Economic Development Council

FastTrac

Investment clubs

Local non-profit organizations

SCORE

Small Business Association

Small Business Development Center

Volunteer lawyers

Lesson Learned by Business Centers

Be willing and able to be flexible enough to serve the needs of your community as they need and change. Ask about and listen to their needs. Find out by asking.

Know your community. Establish relationships and dialogs.

Get out into the community and be seen. Involve them in evaluation of new resources, programs, and services and listen to their suggestions.

Identify the core issue before attempting to provide an answer or advice -- Many clients are unsure of what information they are seeking, and try to cover that fact by asking for information in too broad or irrelevant terms.

Look for a niche that is not being filled, e.g. nonprofits. Don't use jargon. Use language that is meaningful to your customers. Don't say, "circulation."